This invention relates generally to bed accessories and more specifically relates to decorative headboards that accompany, but are not attached to, the supporting structure of the bed.
It is well-known that contemporary bed structures frequently comprise a mattress resting on a box spring which is, in turn supported above the floor by a frame like arrangement equipped with legs which may have wheels or gliders attached at their free ends, in contact with the floor. This basic structure provides what are commonly accepted as the xe2x80x9cbasicsxe2x80x9d of a bed structure in most of current Western cultures, namely a mattress and a supporting spring for the mattress, both supported at a reasonable height above the floor to assure the comfort and desired elevation of the occupant. Often, a decorative headboard and or foot board is attached to either the spring or its supporting frame, or both, to enhance the visual appearance of the bed and the space in which the bed is housed.
However, despite the generally accepted attractiveness of headboards and footboards, they are, in many instances, omitted entirely due to the exigencies of modern living and the nomadic nature of current lifestyles. That is, they substantially increase the initial cost of the bed along with imposing additional moving and storage expense when it becomes necessary to move from one living location to another. Furnishing homes for the young raises the additional consideration of maturing and evolving tastes which result in the attractive physical appearance of this year""as head and/or footboard rapidly being regarded as out-of-style and unappealing in ensuing years.
The decorative headboard for a bed in accordance with the present invention avoids the excessive storage space requirements of existing headboard structures and further overcomes many of the problems associated with frequent obsolescence of style, color and overall appearance. A headboard in accordance with this invention is formed of soft, flexible material that may be compressed easily into a minimum of space for moving and storage. It is housed in a removable and replaceable casing so that its color and decorative appearance may be changed readily, essentially at will.
Because the headboard of this invention is intended to be hung on a wall, or any available and suitable vertical structure, in proximity to a bed, without being attached to the mattress, spring or other supporting structure for these elements, this headboard occupies none of the valuable floor space that is often severely limited in small, modem residential units. An elongate, substantially rigid, rod-like supporting element which allows the headboard to be suspended on a wall, represents the only substantially non-compressible element of the invention. This support element, however, although it may in some instances extend to a length on the order of seven feet, occupies essentially no significant volume because its width or diameter may be as little as one inch or so. And, because the elements of this headboard, with the exception of the supporting member, all serve essentially non-structural functions, they can be chosen from among a wide variety of light-weight and easily cleaned or sanitized materials.
In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, the wall hung headboard comprises a generally soft, panel-like member having length and width dimensions that are substantially greater than the thickness of the panel; a fabric container enclosing the panel and having an access opening for inserting and removing the panel from within the container so that the container can be cleaned changed, etc.; and a rigid support member that is coupled to the panel member parallel to one edge of the panel, so that when the support is fastened to a wall next to the bed, the panel will be suspended from the support, next to the bed, in a desired and decoratively attractive relationship. Decorative patterns can be made visible on the outer surface of the fabric container and pocket recesses can be formed in either the fabric or the panel or both to enhance the functions of the headboard for visual appeal and for the convenience of a user of the bed. In a preferred embodiment, the rigid support is coupled to the panel by removably capturing at least part of the support within the confines of the fabric container.